


Makai

by Calacious



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Sexual Content, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-20
Updated: 2012-04-04
Packaged: 2017-10-27 14:38:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/296926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calacious/pseuds/Calacious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kono invites Danny and Grace to the beach, and things don't go as planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pilikia

**Author's Note:**

> Written for h50_holidayswap. My first 'het' pairing that goes beyond kissing.

Danny waded out into the ocean, keeping an eye on Grace who was straddling a surfboard with Kono sitting behind her. She was leaning back into Kono, her head tilted as she listened to something that the young woman was saying. Laughter floated over the lapping waves, and Danny smiled. It was nice to hear laughter for a change; things had been tense in and outside of work.

He’d been looking forward to this weekend for a long time. Lately work, or something that Rachel and Stan had planned, had been robbing him of his time with his little girl. It wasn’t fair, he’d moved to Hawaii so that he could be with Grace, and he could count on one hand how often he’d seen her in the past half year.

Life, however, was rarely fair. It never claimed to be. He just wished that every now and again it would take him and others like him into account before dishing out rewards, just or otherwise.

Of course, maybe he didn’t deserve anything good in this life. There was Grace, and maybe she would have to be enough for him, whether or not he got to see her as often as he’d like.

His heart gave a lurch when the surfboard that his daughter and Kono were sitting on was nearly swallowed by a large, unexpected wave which proceeded to bowl him over onto his ass. He hit the rocky bottom of the ocean, hard. His breath was knocked out of him, and it took him a few seconds to regain his bearings.

Saltwater stung his eyes, and he blinked rapidly to try and clear his vision. Instinctively, he used his hands to wipe at his eyes, inadvertently rubbing more of the abrasive salt into them as he did so, making them burn.

“Crap,” he said, and proceeded to cough out what felt like a lungful of the briny liquid.

He swallowed more of the caustic water as another wave arched over his head. The wave engulfed him as it crashed onto the shore behind him. The water receded, pulling him further out to sea with the ebb’s flow.

He scrambled for a handhold, trying, in vain, to grasp onto the rock laden bottom as he was swept away from the shore. The palm of his hand scraped against a particularly sharp rock that scratched the pads of his fingers.

As another huge wave crested and fell, he caught a brief glimpse of Grace and Kono. They, much to his relief, were still sitting atop the surfboard, managing to ride out the waves which had taken them by surprise. The surf report had not predicted such high waves on south shore, which is why Danny had agreed to the impromptu surfing lesson Kono had extended to him and Grace.

Kono had assured him – as had the surf report he’d dutifully double and then triple checked in the morning – that the waves on the south side of the island would be waist high at most. It was typically that way through Hawaii’s ‘winter’ months, with the bigger waves falling along the north shore, the exact opposite of the ‘summer’ months. If anyone had asked him, and there weren’t many who would, he would have told them that Hawaii didn’t have a winter.

With mild temperatures that did not drop to fifty below, a distinct lack of hands and lips so chapped that they bled, or snow hip deep, Hawaii’s winters were child’s play at best, a mere function of the calendar which said that winter fell during certain months. Hawaii, and its people, did not know what a true winter was. A winter measured by the size of waves along the north and south shore, a ten degree drop in temperature and the increase of head colds was not a real winter.

Right now Danny’d give anything for a true, New Jersey winter if it meant that he was safe slip sliding down an icy sidewalk, and not being pounded into the hard, rocky bottom of the ocean and tugged unceremoniously out, deeper into the ocean. Chapped fingers, lips and chin would be more than welcome right about now.

Before yet another wave attempted to swallow him whole, he could see that Kono and Grace were closing in on him, or maybe he was being pulled out as far as Kono had paddled. Danny wasn’t too sure, and didn’t think it really mattered in the grand scheme of things as he swallowed a mouthful of warm, salty water.

He attempted to push himself up off the ocean’s uneven floor, using his hands to gain some sort of leverage, but the waves were now coming in greater force. It seemed that no sooner would one wave leave than another would come to take its place.

The ocean’s trying to drown me, Danny thought, panicked.

He felt dizzy, and could hear nothing but the roaring of water in his ears as another wave rolled over his head, knocking him down just as he’d managed to get his feet back under him. He was somersaulted by the wave’s momentum, and his shoulder slammed into the sharp coral of the reef. In a breath stealing jolt, his back slammed into the coral.

He couldn’t tell if his eyes were open or closed. He couldn’t see, and it felt like they were being scratched by sandpaper. Completely disoriented, he didn’t know which way was up or down, and struggled to get himself upright. His lungs were on fire with the effort it took him to hold his breath, which was quickly becoming a losing battle as his body tricked him into opening his mouth, and drawing in a breath of water.

Black and white spots dotted his vision, the black threatening to overtake him entirely. The waves kept coming, churning the water, tossing him, alternatively slamming him into the bottom of the ocean and pulling him along in their wake.


	2. Nalu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kono asks Danny and Grace to join her on Saturday. Things don't go as planned, leaving Danny's life in jeopardy.

Kono was enjoying her Saturday. It was a nice, sunny day, yet not overly hot. The clouds were white and fluffy. Best of all, she was getting to spend the day with Danny and Grace.

She’d been nervous when she’d first approached Danny about taking Grace, and him, out for a surfing lesson. She was certain that he’d turn her down because of the little time he’d been able to spend with Grace since Rachel’s return to the island.

To say that the atmosphere at Five-0 headquarters had been strained lately was an understatement. Sometimes the tension was so thick that Kono felt as if she was wading through mud. Something needed to give, or one of them was going to explode or implode, and she didn’t want it to be Danny.

Kono couldn’t help but utter a little whoop of joy when Danny accepted her offer. She had been nursing a secret crush on the man for quite a while now, and admired him, not only as a cop, but also as a father. She couldn’t get enough of watching how he interacted with his little girl, and was looking forward to being with just the two of them, without Chin and Steve along.

She ignored the strange look Chin and Steve shot at her, and gave each of them a broad smile in return. She was happy, and it had been a long time since she’d felt happy. She was going to relish it for all it was worth.

Kono was up before the sun, stretching and meditating, readying herself for the day ahead. She wanted to make the most of her time with Danny and Grace.

Saturday dawned in a subdued array of pale oranges and muted pinks. It was a perfect beginning to a day that she hoped would be replicated in the future. If she had her way, and she sincerely hoped that she would, this Saturday would be the first in a series of Saturdays spent with the father/daughter duo.

She had wanted to take them to somewhere a little out of the way, and had chosen Barbers Point. The waves wouldn’t be very high; they never were very high on the south side of the island during the winter months. It would be perfect for Grace, and well within Danny’s comfort zone.

She packed a small picnic lunch for the three of them, and picked them up a little after dawn. The drive had been pleasant; Danny’s morning quiet had been unexpected, but comfortable. Grace had more than made up for her father’s lack of discourse, telling Kono all about school and what she’d been up to since the last time they’d seen each other.

“So, you’re going to take Grace out on the board with you, and…”

“And just get used to what it feels like to be on a board in the ocean,” Kono finished for Danny.

She’d gone over the concept with him a number of times, and had even offered to take him out first so that he’d know what it would be like for Grace, but he hadn’t wanted to leave his daughter unattended on the shore, and she really couldn’t blame him for that. Still, though, it was a little annoying, and a little hard for her, who’d been out on the ocean since before she’d learned to walk, to understand what Danny’s hang-up was.

“You have nothing to worry about,” Kono assured him for what felt like the hundredth time.

“Danno,” Grace said, tugging on her father’s swim trunks until he fixed his gaze on her, “I’ll be right out there,” she gestured vaguely toward a point in the middle of the calm ocean, “you can see me all the way across the ocean, and I’ll be able to see you. There’s nothing to worry about, Aunty Kono will be with me the whole time.”

“I know that monkey,” Danny said, kneeling so that he could look his daughter in the eye, “it’s just that, as your father, it’s my duty and privilege to worry about you. I just want to make sure that you’re going to be as safe as possible.”

“Don’t you trust Aunty Kono?” Grace asked.

“Don’t I trust Aunty Kono?” Danny echoed the question, adding, “Of course I trust Kono, it’s the Pacific Ocean I don’t trust.”

“That’s silly,” Grace said, shaking her head at her father’s antics. She giggled when Danny drew her in for a hug, lightly tickling her ribs before releasing her.

“You listen to everything your Aunty Kono tells you, okay?” Danny held Grace at arm’s length, looking her in the eye, communicating the seriousness of his command to her.

Grace nodded, not tearing her eyes away from her father’s gaze. Kono got the sense that there was a silent communication being exchanged between the two and felt left out. Feeling like an intruder, she looked out at the ocean, watching the gentle, rolling waves, barely splashing against the rocks and coral as they came to shore. It was a peaceful day.

“Have fun,” Danny said, pulling his daughter close for a hug before releasing her to Kono.

“You sure you don’t want to come too?” Kono offered.

It wasn’t the first time, and, she vowed that it would not be the last time that she’d ask Danny to join her in the ocean. She didn’t understand Danny’s reluctance to enter the ocean. The furthest she’d ever seen him go in was waist high, but she was determined to change that.

She was going to help him learn to relax, and swim for fun, rather than being worried about every little thing that could possibly go wrong. Then, she was planning on teaching him how to surf. And she knew that the best way to get to Danny was through his daughter, who, in her youth, was fearless, unlike her father. Maybe it was a bit underhanded, but she knew she’d have a better chance at getting Danny to enjoy the ocean almost as much as she did if she and Grace tag-teamed him.

She knew that her womanly wiles would only get her so far and that where Grace lead, Danny would follow. It was an undeniable fact of his life, one which she admired greatly, and was willing to use toward her advantage. Not that she was using Grace. She genuinely enjoyed spending time with her, and was immensely grateful that Danny had agreed to let her join them on one of his rare visitations.

Even so, Kono was going to use whatever means she had at her disposal to get Danny to loosen up (the man was way too stressed, especially of late) and enjoy life. After all, what was better in life than being one with the ocean? By the time she and Grace were done with Danny Williams, he would be a different man – one who was able to kick back and relax.

Kono felt his eyes on them as she paddled away from the shore with Grace straddling the board in front of her. She hoped that he was seeing how happy his little girl looked, and that he was also seeing how good she was with Grace. She felt her cheeks grow red as her thoughts started to take another turn, and she quickly pushed those thoughts aside, focusing instead on the steady rhythm of the ocean. Feeling the gentle waves lap against the bottom of the board, the subtle way they lifted and dropped, and the tug of the current on her feet. Becoming one with the ocean.

“Do you feel that Grace?” she asked.

The little girl nodded, and Kono could picture the smile on her face. It would be the same one she’d seen many times on Danny’s face when he talked about his little girl.

She leaned forward, instructing Grace in the art of balance, and going with the flow of the ocean. It was essential, not only in learning how to surf, but also in life. Balance was key, and that is something that Kono feels Danny’s been lacking since he’s moved to the islands.

Perhaps his life has been off-kilter since his divorce from Rachel, or maybe he had never achieved balance in life, but Kono wanted to gift him with that, even if nothing else came of her efforts. She would be satisfied with helping Danny come to terms with life, and teaching him to go with the basic ebb and flow of it.

“I can feel Danno’s eyes on me,” Grace said.

Surprised at the little girl’s acuity, Kono nodded. “I can too,” she whispered. “What do you say we turn around and wave at him, see if we can get him to dip his feet into the ocean?”

Grace nodded and Kono leaned back, pulling Grace with her, showing her how to manipulate the board through the waters with movements so subtle that they couldn’t be detected by anyone who might be watching, aside from an expert. The trick with learning surfing, or any other water sport, was not to fight nature's natural tendency but rather to embrace it through mimicry.

Much to Kono’s delight, Grace was a natural at it. She responded readily to Kono’s direction. She’d be up on a board in no time at all. Danny, however, was going to be another matter Kono realized when she spotted him at the water’s edge. He had his hand cupped over his eyes, and was watching them with a slight frown on his face.

His shoulders were taut and hunched. She could feel the tension rolling off him in waves across the few yards of ocean which separated them, and it caused her own stomach to tighten. Grace sensed the change in her and turned slightly, a questioning look on her face which reminded her of Danny when he was intent upon a case.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just your father looks like he swallowed a bee,” said Kono.

Grace frowned, her nose wrinkling up as she considered what Kono said. She turned her own gaze toward her father and nodded.

“That’s just his, worried face,” Grace said by way of explanation. She shrugged her shoulders and turned to look at Kono. “He wears that a lot when I’m doing something he thinks is dangerous or risky. He worries too much.”

“That he does,” Kono said. “What do you say we help him with that?”

“How?” Grace was watching her out of the corner of her eye.

“Well, I was thinking that we could work on getting him out into the ocean, show him that it isn’t as scary as he thinks it is.”

Grace looked at her thoughtfully, and then turned her eyes back toward her father who was still watching them through blue eyes clouded with wariness. If anything, his frown had merely deepened in the short time Kono’s attention had been diverted by her conversation with Grace.

“Yeah, that sounds like a good plan,” Grace said after a moment, “the problem is going to be getting him to come into the ocean.”

“Here’s what I was thinking,” Kono said, whispering into her ear as sound traveled so clearly across open waters and she didn’t want Danny to overhear what she was going to ask his daughter to do. She could feel Grace’s smile as it stretched across her face, and the knot in her stomach loosened a little as the girl nodded at Kono’s impromptu plan for getting her father to wade into the ocean.

“On the count of three,” Kono whispered, and Grace tensed in anticipation as Kono counted the seconds, “One, two…”

“Danno!” Grace’s voice traveled quickly over the water, tripping lightly over the waves.

Kono smiled inwardly when Danny’s shoulders lost some of their tension and he stopped his pacing. So far, her plan was working. She crossed her fingers, hoping that this next part would work.

“Look at me.” Grace let go of the board and threw her hands up in the air, and, as Kono had suspected would happen, Danny grew tense once more. “I’m in the middle of the ocean.”

“Grace,” Danny’s voice, thick with worry, carried over to them, and Kono felt a stab of remorse, but reasoned that this was for the man’s benefit. In the end, provided that he never found out this was all a part of a ruse to get him into the ocean, he would thank her. Hopefully in ways which she couldn’t think about right now with Grace sitting with her.

“Be careful, put your hands back on the surfboard,” Danny instructed, his voice is now laced with panic, and Kono feels more than just a little guilty, but there’s no going back, the bait has been set, and things will work out. They always do.

“Come and make me,” Grace said, and Kono wondered if her plan was going to backfire at the dark look that Danny shot the both of them.

“Grace,” the warning tone is clear in Danny’s voice, but there’s something else there too which Kono hasn’t heard in a long time – playfulness.

Grace wriggled a little on the board, and Kono quickly counterbalanced before they took a dip into the ocean. It is evident that Grace is completely committed to their ruse, and that she is a quick learner. She knows what she is doing, and trusts Kono in a way which is humbling.

“I think I might go for a swim instead,” Grace said, peering over the board.

“Oh no you don’t,” Danny said, and he stepped into the ocean.

“Come and stop me,” Grace said, jutting her chin out.

“You don’t think I will?” Danny countered. “You think you’ve got your old dad all figured out, don’t you? You and your Aunty Kono.”

“Uh-oh, I think he’s caught onto our plan,” Kono whispered, and they both laughed when Danny walked closer to them.

Though the beach was good for surfers, it wasn’t the best, at least where Danny was setting foot into it, for wading, and Kono winced in sympathy, knowing that the terrain would be uncomfortable to walk on until he made it out past the ridge of coral, even with water socks on. Just getting him to wear them in the first place had been a battle, ‘I’m not going to be trouncing around in the Pacific Ocean…’

“The thing is,” Danny said as he waded further in, “that, like I told your Uncle Steve, your Daddy does know how to swim, pretty well as a matter of fact.”

“Prove it,” Kono said.

“Oh, she wants me to prove it,” Danny muttered.

Grace leaned back into Kono, giggling.

“I think we’re in for a show, big time,” Kono said, and the both of them laughed.

Danny’s smile was something which would be etched forever in her memory, especially as it was followed, a few seconds later by a look of unmitigated terror, his gaze focused on something just beyond where she and Grace sat. It was a full second before Kono understood what that look meant, and then she felt the pull of the wave, and her sole attention was reserved for keeping Grace and herself afloat atop the surfboard.

She watched Danny go under, and felt Grace lurch forward, the little girl reaching out for her downed father.

“Grace,” Kono held the girl tight, “Grace, hold still, your dad’s going to be fine. I need your help though, okay?”

Grace nodded, but she remained tense.

Wave after wave lifted and dropped them, a storm come out of nowhere. Clouds dark and thick gathered overhead and Kono felt the first fat drops of rain as she paddled her way to where she saw Danny go down.

His head popped up, and he spat out water. Kono could see that he was disoriented. His eyes – wild and unseeing – were filled with panic. She knew that she needed to get to him sooner, rather than later.

“Danno!” Grace called to her father, but her cry fell on deaf ears.

“Grace, I need you to be brave, do you think you can do that for me?”

“Yes,” Grace said in a whisper, nodding.

“Good.” Kono squeezed her arms lightly, and then pulled her legs up out of the water. Kneeling on the board, she helped Grace center herself.

Danny had gone back down under, his feet wiped out from beneath him, and she and Grace were still a few feet away from him. She knew that there was little time to waste. Danny would have swallowed too much water already, not to mention what the sharp, jagged edges of coral must be doing to his unprotected skin.

“Grace, I’m going to dive in after your father, I need you to stay on the board, okay?” Kono waited until Grace nodded that she understood. “Once I get your father to safety, I’ll come back for you.”

“Okay.” Grace’s voice was dwarfed by the roaring of the waves as they pounded against the shore.

“All you have to do is stay on the board, just hold on, and don’t let go,” Kono said.

She knew that if Danny was even remotely aware of what was going on right now he would be unhappy. He would never have approved of what Kono was going to do. His daughter’s life was more important than anything else, and he would never risk it for anything, least of all his own life. Kono, though, was counting on the girl to follow her instructions to the letter, as her father had taught her to do, and as she had proven herself capable of doing throughout their morning together.

“Just go get Danno,” Grace said.

She was clinging so tightly to the board that her knuckles were white. Her brown eyes, focused on the section of water where she had last seen her father, contrasted starkly with the paleness of her face, and the freckles on her cheeks stood out in bas-relief.

Kono’s heart twisted with misgiving. Maybe she should bring Grace to shore first.

“Go,” Grace said, setting her face with a resolve that was so Danny-like that if there had been any doubt in her mind that the two were related, it would be succinctly and irrevocably quashed. “I’ll be okay.”

Though her eyes were wide with terror as another wave lifted and dropped them, her shoulders were squared and her jaw was set with a stubbornness that Kono realized must be a Williams’ trait. A glimpse of Danny being pulled further from shore, closer to where Kono and Grace were, settled things, and Grace pushed her.

“Go save Danno,” she said, “please.”

And it was the ‘please’, spoken in such a clear, plaintive tone, which sold Kono on the plan. With a final, fortifying squeeze to Grace’s shoulder, and a silent prayer that Danny might eventually forgive her for abandoning his daughter to save his life, she dove over the side of the board.

The salt water stung her eyes, but she had developed an immunity of sorts to the pain over the years, and was able to keep her eyes open without her vision clouding. She spied Danny – a dark shadow – a few feet further out than she’d anticipated; he’d been pulled along by the swirling undercurrent of the powerful waves, and was now past where she and Grace had paddled.

She swam against the current, kicking off the rocky floor of the ocean, pulling through the water with strong, purposeful strokes. Her lungs felt like they were on fire by the time she reached him. She had trained to be a lifeguard, but never had she been so terrified at the prospect of not being able to rescue someone as she was at this moment.

Danny was still cognizant, his blue eyes wide open with panic, and the stone that had settled in her chest at the fear that she might be too late lifted a little. He was still alive. Her smile went unnoticed, and he struggled when she reached for him.

She wanted to tell him that it was going to be okay, that she had him, but words wouldn’t carry underwater, and she didn’t have the breath to do so. Instead, she pulled him close, as she’d been taught, his back to her chest, and kicked upward, pushing them toward the surface of the water.

When their heads emerged from the water, they both gasped greedily for air. Danny coughed and sputtered as his lungs fought to expel the salty substance which he’d swallowed. Kono searched the water for Grace, and was relieved when she spotted the dark-haired girl a few feet away. The waves were coming in far greater force than had been forecast, but she was still nestled atop the surfboard, leaning and moving with the waves almost as though she’d been born to it. Grace was a natural.

Kono made quick work of getting Danny to safety. Keeping Danny on his back, she used her feet to propel them through the water, and the momentum of the waves to help bring them to shore. She pulled him up the bank to where the waves would not reach, and, after assessing that he was breathing, she turned back to the water for Grace who was being lifted by a wave.

She looked so small and vulnerable against the tumultuous backdrop of the ocean. Kono suddenly understood what it was that Danny saw, what he felt as he watched his daughter take risks that she’d taken for granted all her life.

Worry, fear, loss of control…all of these feelings, and others she didn’t even have words for, conspired, and threatened to overwhelm her, but Kono shook them off. She wondered how Danny was able to let his daughter out of his sight at all if these feelings were even remotely more than half as intense as she felt them. It was unbelievable, and she vowed not to give him as hard a time as she had in the past.

It had begun to rain in earnest now – the fat, lazy droplets of rain had turned into small, stinging needlelike ones. She dove into the ocean. A few strong kicks, and a couple of strokes later, she was next to Grace, and mounting the surfboard.

“I’m going to get us to shore,” she promised the little girl, and, ignoring the tremble of fear that accompanied her words, she prepared for the next wave.

“Just hold steady Grace, and let me do all the work, okay?”

Tightlipped and wide-eyed, Grace nodded.

Kono watched the upcoming wave. It was a slowly building mountain, moving and growing swiftly as it made its way through the ocean, a leviathan. She determined where she needed to be to catch it, and then rose up on the surfboard, trusting that Grace would remain still as she rode the wave.

It brought them close to shore, and Kono knelt to paddle the rest of the way, Grace lending her strength to the task. As soon as the board touched sand, Kono scooped Grace up and tucked the board beneath her arm. It didn’t matter that the girl was old enough to walk on her own, or that she was too big to be carried, Kono was working on adrenaline. She raced along the shore, back to where she’d left Danny.

Setting Grace on her feet, Kono collapsed by Danny’s side. She pressed shaky fingers to his neck, and took his pulse. She let out the breath she’d been holding when she registered that he had a good, strong pulse. Her eyes traveled down his exposed back, noting the bruises which had already begun to form and the scrapes that he’d received from the rough coral and rocks of the area that he’d chosen to wade into the ocean from.


	3. Wana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny's not quite out of the water yet.

Danny’s head was swimming, and his back was on fire. He felt like he’d taken a beating, but couldn’t remember who had beaten him up. He could barely lift his head, and was only vaguely aware of his surroundings. When he opened his mouth, he could taste sea salt and sand. His mouth was filled with the gritty substance.

He knew that there was something he should remember, but he couldn’t seem to get his mind to work properly. He was dizzy. He couldn’t lift his head without the memory of being tossed around, like clothing in a dryer, or Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.

“Danny?” Kono’s voice came to him through a tunnel. “…hospital.”

“No,” Danny managed to say, though he doesn’t know how he was able to get that one syllable out of mouth, stuffed with sand as it was.

“No hospital,” he said.

“But Danny,” Kono’s voice was clearer, more distinct, “you’ve swallowed a lot of water, and…”

She trailed off, and Danny started imagining every worst possible scenario that he’d ever heard of, and some he hadn’t.

“And what?” he asked, suddenly alert.

“And you’ve been pounded by some pretty powerful waves,” Kono added. “You’re bruised pretty badly, and you got scraped up by coral.”

“What is it you aren’t telling me?” Danny asked, sensing that Kono was still holding something back.

“Um, well,” Kono paused, and Danny wished that she’d just spit it out.

Surely whatever the hell it was couldn’t be all that bad. Or at least not as bad as half of the stuff he was imagining had happened to him was. It was then that he remembered he hadn’t gone to the beach alone with Kono, and that he wasn’t on duty.

“Grace?” he asked, panic gripping his heart in a chokehold.

“I’m right here Daddy,” she said, and the chokehold eased a little. “I’m okay, but you don’t look too good.”

“I’m fine baby,” he said, blindly reaching for her hand, and catching it. He squeezed her hand tightly, reassuring her that he was more okay than he felt.

“So, was I attacked by a shark? An eel? A jellyfish? “ Danny asked, running the different worst case scenarios through his head, and checking them against the various pains he was feeling.

One pain, in his lower back, was consistent and throbbing. It ached and stung, and Danny reached a hand back for it, only to have it batted away by Kono.

“Don’t touch that,” Kono chided, “I’ll take it out.”

“What is it?” Danny asked, curious as to what the hell could cause such pain.

It felt like he’d been run clear through with a hot poker. It didn’t help that he couldn’t see anything other than ash-colored sand, and that his daughter’s hand was gripping his tightly, offering him comfort though that was his role.

“Uh, wana,” Kono said.

“Vana? Huh? You vanna what?” Danny was confused, and in pain. Combining confusion with pain was never a good thing. He was about to reach back and pull whatever the heck had stabbed him in the back out, but Kono stilled his hand once again.

“No, Danny, you’ve got a couple of sea urchin, wana, spines stuck in your back, and uh…”

“And?” Danny was quickly losing patience with Kono’s hedging. Had he lost a limb to some overly zealous shark?

“And there’s a couple in your, well, in your butt,” Kono finished quietly.

Danny could practically feel the heat of her blush, in spite of the rain which was making him shiver. Or maybe he was shivering from the venom from the sea urchin.

“Please tell me you can take them out,” Danny said.

He didn’t care if it sounded like he was begging, but the thought of tiny, thin spikes sticking out of his ass was embarrassing enough without adding the presence of his daughter, and a pretty woman that he kind of had a bit of a thing for. Well, the kind of a thing that was mostly kept to himself being that he worked with her and her overly protective cousin. He didn’t even want to think about what Chin would do to him if he had even an inkling of the unwholesome thoughts that he had entertained about Kono.

“Uh, sure, but…I think I’d better get you to a hospital, you know, in case you’ve got an infection. You were underwater pretty long too.”

“No, just, no,” Danny said.

He tried to sit up, but Kono’s hand on his back kept him in place. Pathetic, he thought. It was uncomfortable being laid out in the cold, wet sand like some invalid, or a beached whale.

“Okay fine, but I’m going to bring you to my place where I can keep an eye on you,” Kono said.

“You don’t have to do that,” Danny said. “Just get that sea urchin, vana thing, out of me and I’ll be good to go.”

“Sorry, no can do, it’s either my place, or the hospital, if you get an infection, you could die,” Kono said.

“Danno, please go with Aunty Kono,” Grace said, squeezing his hand.

Danny silently cursed himself. The two had tag teamed him earlier. He hadn’t caught onto it at first, but, when he’d begun to wade out into the ocean, presumably to get his daughter to comply with his wishes, he’d realized that they were playing him. It was happening again, but this time they’d had no time to put their heads together and scheme. The women in his life were going to be his undoing if he wasn’t careful.

“Fine,” Danny said.

The sand was uncomfortable, not to mention the pain in his back, and now that Kono had mentioned he had some of the sea urchin’s spikes in his ass, he could feel that stinging pain there as well. With his horrible luck, he’d probably end up with a raging infection, have to be admitted to the hospital, and would wake to Steve’s worried face looming over him. Something he’d rather avoid at all costs.

“Good,” Kono said, and Danny could hear the smirk in her voice. “Grace, I’m going to pull the spines out of your dad, could you talk to him and keep his mind on something else while I do that?”

Danny almost protested, but realized that it wasn’t really for his benefit, but for Grace’s that Kono had asked his daughter to keep his mind off of what was happening. It was clever, and Danny once more allowed himself to entertain the possibility of Kono playing more of a role in his life than that of co-worker.

Grace took Kono’s instructions to heart and kept up a steady stream of conversation with him. Most of it was one-sided, and the conversation was a little stilted, but it had been a good distraction for the both of them as Kono had gone to her truck and gotten some tweezers to pull the spines out.

It hurt, and Danny hissed, blowing air out through teeth clenched tight in pain. He was careful not to squeeze Grace’s hand too hard, digging his free hand into the sand beneath him instead. It didn’t do much to help ease the pain, but gave him something else to focus on.

“That’s the last of them,” Kono announced, and Danny let out the breath that he’d been holding in.

“Good,” he said, “Never again. Now I know what a dog feels like when it gets a porcupine quill embedded in its nose.”

“Porcupine quill?” Kono questioned as she helped him to his feet.

He wobbled unsteadily for a few seconds, mulling over how to explain what a porcupine was to her, and then hobbled forward with her and Grace’s help.

“A porcupine is kind of like a…” he trailed off.

“It’s a spiky animal, like a hedgehog, but it’s bigger,” Grace supplied, and, too tired to come up with a more thorough explanation, Danny simply nodded.

“I see,” Kono said, and it was clear to Danny that she didn’t. “So, it’s not a fish? We have porcupine fish, and they have long spines which can be dangerous, kind of like the poor sea urchin you had a run in with,” Kono teased.

“Ha ha,” Danny said, wincing at the pain in his lower back.

“You okay? Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?” Kono asked quickly.

“Yeah I’m fine,” Danny said, mentally berating himself for showing more pain than he’d meant to.

Ideally, Kono would drop him off at home to figuratively lick his wounds in private, but he knew that was not going to happen, and that it would probably not be the best thing to do while he had Grace. Staying with Kono as opposed to going to the hospital was a far better option in his opinion.

“I’ll try to make the trip as comfortable for you as possible,” Kono said when they reached the truck, “but I’m afraid there’s no pain free way of doing this.”

“I’ll be okay,” Danny assured her.

The trip to Kono’s house, while not pain free, was quick, and Danny was grateful for that. He would have loved to have waved off the hand she’d offered him when they arrived, but he had to lean a little on her as they walked into her home.

It was a cozy place, and, while Kono had decorated for the holidays, she had done so tastefully. A real tree trimmed with lights and red, white and blue ornaments sat in one corner of the living room, and a manger had been set up on a small table. It gave her place a festive look, and yet it was subdued rather than overwhelming.

She had four stockings lining the far wall, situated just above her television set. What looked like a makeshift altar had been set up in a small alcove in the wall opposite. It had a small orange, or maybe a tangerine and some rounded white things next to it that looked like a plastic snowman to Danny. He was too tired and hurting too much to ask about it. Maybe he’d ask Kono about it tomorrow, after a good night’s sleep, well, as good a night’s sleep as he could get under the painful circumstances.

“How are you doing Danny?” Kono asked as she lowered him onto her couch.

“Fine,” Danny said, closing his eyes.

He was tired, and wondered if that was a side-effect of the sea urchin’s venom, or if it was due to his ordeal with the ocean. The ocean had not been at all kind to him, and he already felt stiff and sore.

“Actually,” Kono said, easing him up into a sitting position, “you should probably shower before you get comfortable, and get all that sand and salt off of you before you crash.”

Danny groaned, but nodded, knowing she was right and that he wouldn’t be comfortable until after he’d showered. He wanted to get every trace of his ordeal with the ocean off of him that he could. He knew it would take some time for the bruising to fade, and for the scrapes to heal.

“Fine,” Danny acceded, and let Kono lead him into her bathroom.

She laid out a towel and washcloth for him and then thankfully left him to his own devices.

“Grace can bathe after you,” Kono said as she left.

“Thanks,” Danny called out after her.

“No problem. Grace and I’ll get some hot cocoa while you shower, and I’ll set out the sandwiches we never got to eat at the beach.”

“Sounds good,” Danny said, letting the hot water soothe some of his aching muscles. It never even occurred to him to be self-conscious with Kono in the bathroom with him while he was in the shower until after she’d left, and then it was only to note that it hadn’t been awkward.


	4. Malama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hot cocoa and kissing.

“Grace,” Kono called softly.

Danny’s daughter was sitting quietly on the sofa, staring at the Nativity she’d just set up the other day. Kono approached her carefully, not sure what to say to the little girl who’d been so brave, who’d put her father’s safety and well-being above her own. Something no child should ever have to do and something Kono wished she could undo.

She knelt next to Grace and took her hands in both of hers. Grace’s eyes filled with tears, but they didn’t fall. Instead, she took a shuddering breath and gave Kono a watery smile.  
“Thank you,” she said, “for saving Danno.”

“I couldn’t have done it without your help,” Kono said honestly, “you were so brave. I’m proud of you, and I’m sure your Dad would be proud of you too.”

Grace’s smile grew even as a tear fell. Kono reached up and wiped the tear away with her thumb. Before she could stand and suggest that they get the hot cocoa and sandwiches ready, Grace’s arms wound around her neck. 

She returned the hug, and, clasping Grace to her tightly, she lifted her up. Her heart lurched oddly in her chest and she hugged the little girl tighter. She carried her into the kitchen, and sat her down on the counter.

“The way I see it,” Kono said airily in an attempt to lighten the mood. “We’re going to have to work twice as hard to get your Dad back into the ocean.”  
“Probably triply as hard,” Grace said, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“Hmmm…I might have to alter my plans some,” Kono said thoughtfully as she pulled mild out of the fridge, and got the container of cocoa out of the cupboard.

She poured some milk into a pan, and set about preparing the cocoa. Grace’s eyes followed her throughout the kitchen as she readied the cocoa and started on the sandwiches.  
“What plans?” Grace asked. 

All signs of tears were gone from her eyes. Kono had Grace washing baby carrots while she sliced up some tomatoes to add to a tossed salad. It would be a simple, light dinner, but after all that they’d been through today, light was the way to go. The hot cocoa would help to ease some of the tension in their muscles and also help to warm them up on the inside. They had all been exposed to the cold of the rain for far longer than Kono would have liked.

“Well, you see, I want to teach Danny, your Dad, how to surf, eventually,” Kono added at the skeptical look the young Williams gave him.  
“That’s not going to be easy,” Grace said.

“I am never going to set foot in the ocean ever again,” Danny stated. 

Kono whirled around, heart pounding; she wondered just how much of her conversation with Grace he’d overheard. 

She hadn’t heard the shower stop, hadn’t realized that the man was standing in the doorway of her kitchen, watching her and Grace as they worked. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he was watching them with a mischievous looking grin on his face. Kono couldn’t be entirely sure, but it looked like his blue eyes were twinkling as well.

Kono turned her back on him and continued her conversation with Grace. “I’ll have him surfing like a pro by springtime,” she said.

Grace shook her head and raised her eyebrow skeptically. 

“Okay, okay, maybe you’re right,” Kono said, holding her hands out in a placating gesture between both Danny and his daughter who was now mimicking her father’s pose, arms crossed over her chest, leaning back against the cupboards. 

“He’ll be back to wading,” Kono amended, winking at Grace.

“I don’t know about that,” Danny said, pushing away from the doorframe. “The ocean tried to kill me today,” he said. “I don’t envision myself setting a toe into it again, let alone walking into it. I don’t have a death wish, contrary to what some people might believe.”

“Danno,” Grace said, giving her father a look that clearly showed she thought he was just a little crazy, “the ocean didn’t try to kill you. You’re being…” she paused, narrowing her eyes as she pondered what word to use, “overdramatic,” she finished.

“Is that a word Step-Stan taught you?” Danny asked wryly, and Kono could sense the underlying bitterness.

“No, it’s something mommy and Ms. Yoshida taught me,” Grace said. 

“Oh, so now I’m being overdramatic,” Danny said opening his arms wide, “the ocean tries to kill me,” he pointed to his chest, “and I’m the one being overdramatic?” He turned his questioning gaze on Kono, and she shook her head.

“I think you’re being paranoid,” Kono said, smiling. “Overdramatic and paranoid.”

Danny raised an eyebrow, and shook his head. “I can see that the ocean has the both of you duped and is keeping you in the dark about its nefarious plans as far as the life of one Danny Williams is concerned.”

“Wading by springtime,” Kono said, looking at Grace.

“Surfing by next summer?” Grace asked.

Kono nodded. “And I think maybe…”

“I think someone promised me some hot cocoa,” Danny interrupted.

The kitchen seemed to shrink as Danny approached her and she backed away until her back met the counter, effectively stopping her backward movement. 

“Uh,” all thought fled her as Danny reached around her to grab one of the mugs she’d filled with cocoa. 

His blue eyes never left her face, even as hers were drawn to his lips which were mere inches from her own. His arm brushed against hers and she drew in a sharp breath. Her skin tingled slightly beneath his touch. 

She didn’t see fireworks or feel as though she had been jolted with electricity. It was nothing like that, nothing like anything she’d read in a book, or heard her friends talk about. No, it was comfortable and unnerving and exciting and confusing and whatever it was made her heart skip a couple of beats in anticipation as his lips hovered over hers.

“Danno,” Grace’s voice floated over to them. 

Kono’s eyelashes fluttered, her heart skittered in her chest. She could feel Danny’s eyes on her, even as he moved a little to give her space and took a sip of the cocoa.

“Yes monkey?” Danny asked.

“Are you going to kiss Aunty Kono?”

“Grace,” Kono said, fearing that whatever spell had just been woven over the two of them had been broken, “your Dad’s…”

“Going to kiss your Aunty Kono,” Danny said, and he leaned in, lowering his lips to hers.

Grace’s quietly giggled approval served as backdrop for the first toe-curling kiss Kono had ever had. She’d been kissed before, but never like this, never so completely, and never with such passion. 

Danny’s lips lingered over hers; his breath, hot and chocolaty tickled her nose; and she could feel the heat from his shower radiating off of him. 

“Danny,” she whispered, her breath hitching in her throat as his lips touched hers, pressing against them lightly.

“Kono,” he murmured. “Thank you for saving my life, for saving my daughter.”

“Danny, you don’t,” Kono started to protest, her heart sinking a little as she thought that Danny might be doing this to repay her for what she’d done at the beach.

“I’ve wanted this for a while now,” Danny’s quietly spoken words, the hand he placed on her lower back as he pulled her closer until she was flush against him, tell her that this isn’t about what happened today, and she’s relieved, excited and terrified.

Should we be kissing in front of Grace? she wanted to ask, but her words were swallowed, stolen, wiped away as Danny’s lips moved against hers. She entwined her fingers together behind his neck, pulling him closer, and stood on her toes in an effort to deepen the kiss. But it isn’t deep enough.

He is chocolate and salt and sun. It is an intoxicating mixture of flavors that Kono can’t get enough of. If it wasn’t for her pesky need to breathe, she would prolong the kiss, never come up for air. 

And when Danny pulled back, resting his forehead against hers, breathing heavily, she moaned, her body protesting the sudden loss of his lips – hot, fevered flesh pressed against flesh. 

“I’m sorry,” Danny mumbled, pushing away.

Kono shook her head, refusing to relinquish her hold on him. “I’m not,” she said, “Danny, I want this, I’ve wanted this for a while now, but I’m willing to wait.”

“But, I’m,” Danny paused searching around for the right word, “old and divorced, and…” he gestured vaguely, “I’ve got a lot of baggage. You’re young and…”

Kono stopped his protest with a kiss. It wasn’t long or deep. It wasn’t toe curling, and didn’t produce any sparks. It was safe and calm and it felt right. She could get used to this.


	5. Laulima

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny's got a fever, Kono tends to him.

“I could get used to this,” Kono muttered, pressing her hand to his chest as she broke off the light kiss, and Danny mentally chastised himself.

 

He figured that, in the end, he could always blame it on the sea urchin. That is, if Chin let him get that far along in his explanation for why he’d kissed his cousin before he killed him.

 

“Kono,” Danny tried to pull away, but she held him close, “I’m sorry,” he said again.

 

He wasn’t sure what else he could say, how he could fix things between them. Fantasizing about being with the young rookie was one thing, but actually kissing her was another. And it wasn’t that he hadn’t enjoyed it. He had enjoyed it far more than he, by rights, should have.

 

It wasn’t right. She was too young for him, and had her whole life ahead of her. He wasn’t by any means elderly, but he had a daughter, an ex-wife and so much baggage that he could book an entire flight just for himself.

 

“Kono,” he said.

 

“Sh,” Kono pressed her finger to his lips. “Don’t break this moment by saying something stupid,” she said.

 

Danny nodded, and smiled. His heart flip-flopped in his chest as she looked up at him through her eyelashes. Coy and fresh and young.

 

She is ocean and cocoa butter and sun. It is a heady amalgamation of balmy fragrances and Danny doesn’t want to give it up.

 

He closed his eyes, drinking in the scent of her once more before pulling back. _Time to face reality_ , he thought, but Kono doesn’t let go, and he was aware of Grace in the background, watching them.

 

“I’d better get Grace that bath,” Danny said.

 

He doesn’t want to give this up, he doesn’t, but it would never work out, would it?

 

“After we eat dinner,” Kono said, releasing him. “And, I’ll be helping Grace with her bath, you need to rest.”

 

“But,” Danny’s protest fell on deaf ears.

 

“But, nothing, I can see the pain reflected in your eyes,” Kono said, turning her back to him. “Finish your cocoa, eat a sandwich, have some salad, and, when Grace is done with her bath, we’ll talk.”

 

“Alright,” Danny said. Talking, he could do talking.

 

“Danno,” Grace had been almost too quiet. Danny was almost afraid of what his daughter would say. “Are you and Kono going to get married?”

 

“Uh…” Danny knew that he should have listened to that warning voice at the back of his mind which had cautioned him not to kiss Kono in front of his daughter.

 

“Grace, your Dad and I have a lot to talk about,” Kono said.

 

“Well, I just want to say,” Grace said, looking steadfastly at the counter where she was tracing a pattern in the white countertop with a finger, “if you want to get married to Aunty Kono, I’m okay with that.” She raised her eyes from the countertop and looked at Danny. “I want you to be happy, and I think she could make you happy.”

 

“Monkey, you’re too young to think about such things,” Danny doesn’t know what else to say to that. His little girl should be thinking about school, Barbie dolls, or how to convince her mom to get her a pet, not about how to make her father happy. “Besides, what makes you think I’m not happy?”

 

“I can tell you aren’t, and it makes me unhappy.”

 

“Monkey, I’m fine,” Danny said, he smiled, hoping that it would help lend some credence to his words.

 

“No, Danno, you’re not,” Grace said. She was far too insightful for her own good. He had to be more careful in the future so that he wouldn’t give her cause to fear for him. “But, you will be,” she said, and gave him a knowing smile.

 

“Alright, eat your dinner and go take a bath,” Danny said, crinkling his nose up, “you stink.”

 

“Do not,” Grace countered, reverting once more to typical nine-year-old behavior.

 

“Do so,” Danny argued.

 

“Enough, the two of you,” Kono said, “eat your dinner, and then it’s bath time.”

 

Danny could hear intermittent giggles coming from the bathroom from where he lay on the couch. Again, he felt some of the tension of the past several months ease, and he drifted off into a peaceful, if not completely painless, sleep. The aspirin that Kono had given him had helped with the pain, but had not completely rid him of it. He supposed that was par for the course with such injuries.

 

His sleep was filled with images of the sun, of Kono leaning over him, her lips pressed to his; hands cupping pert breasts; nipples hardening as they respond to his touch; breath coming in husky gasps and guttural moans; thighs, soft, round, muscular, tanned, slick and gliding beneath his fingertips.

 

Cool lips pressed against his forehead wake him from his fevered dreams. Kono’s eyes, filled with concern, and, though he doesn’t want to place this emotion, he can’t help but name it – love – greeted him upon his waking.

 

And, though there is a very loud part of him protesting what his body is telling him to do, he doesn’t listen. Yes, he’s all wrong for her, and she’s too young for him, but this is what he wants. Hell, maybe it’s even what he needs.

 

“Just go with the flow Danny,” Kono urged, pressing her lips into the crook of his neck. “We don’t have to rush things. We can take them slowly.”

 

“I don’t want to ruin you,” Danny said, and it doesn’t make any sense, “I don’t want to ruin you,” he repeated.

 

“You’re not going to ruin me,” Kono said, pressing her lips to his collarbone.

 

“Fuck, but you’re going to wreck me,” Danny said, biting back another curse as Kono trailed kisses down to his belly.

 

“You’ve got a fever,” Kono said, and Danny wonders if maybe this is all an elaborate hallucination his mind has concocted in its fevered state. “Sit up, I need to see your lower back,” she ordered, and, after much protest, Danny complied.

 

He couldn’t help but hiss when she pressed her cool fingertips to the site of the injuries. “Danny, I’ve got to clean these,” Kono said, and his mind is only tracking half of what she’s saying.

 

When her lips brush lightly against his injuries, he doesn’t flinch from the pain. Her fingers, her hands, her back arching, the strangled mewl from the back of her throat when he rubs up against her – all of it was a turn on.

 

Standing, she beckoned him to come, and he followed. Half asleep, half awake; he walked into her room, and sat down on the bed.

 

Kono was a gentle nurse, and while the pain didn’t completely leave him, it was eased considerably. He was no longer feverish. His thinking cleared, and he realized that he was in bed with a beautiful woman. A woman he’d dreamt about being with for a while now.


	6. Huli

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The making of love.

Kono was leery of taking advantage of Danny, but he’d responded so readily to her touch, and it was hard for her to resist her own needs. He was a grown man, capable of making his own decisions, she reasoned.

 

“Kono,” Danny said breathlessly, “I…if…”

 

“Danny I don’t want you to do anything you’re not ready for,” Kono said.

 

“I just, if we start this, I don’t know that I can stop, and I don’t want to hurt you.”

 

Kono laughed. “I was just thinking the same thing,” she said. “And you’re sick,” she pouted. “We should probably wait until you’re feeling better. And for a time when Grace isn’t sleeping over.”

 

“Uh,” Danny’s voice was thick, “Not sure I can wait.”

 

“Well, I have it on good authority that these rooms are fairly soundproof,” Kono said playfully. She held her breath, afraid that she was pushing things too hard too fast and that she was losing Danny.

 

“Is that so?” Danny asked.

 

“Uh huh,” Kono said.

 

She pressed her lips to the juncture of his collarbone and neck, feeling his pulse rush beneath them. Her nipples hardened, and she eased herself onto the bed, straddling his hips, fearful that he might reject her forwardness; she prepared herself for that possibility.

 

“Fuck Kono,” Danny ground out, thrusting his hips upward.

 

“That’s kind of what I had in mind,” Kono said. This is a side of her that she’s never shared with him, a side of her that she is excited to share.

 

She dipped her mouth to his, wanting to taste him again, and a thrill of excitement traveled down her spine when his fingers fumbled with the band of her panties, slipping them off. Her body, unused to touch, it’s been months between lovers, is already wet, and when his fingers, warm and thick, slicked with her pre-cum enter her, she’s close to coming completely undone.

 

“Does that feel good?” Danny asks, and it’s all Kono can do to find her voice.

 

“Unh…good, yes,” he pumps his fingers into her, “yes,” and she doesn’t want to come before he’s even entered her. “Please,” she’s begging, “need this, need you,” she’s not even capable of formulating coherent thoughts, let alone voicing them, but apparently her half spoken sentiments are enough and Danny’s fingers are gone, leaving her feeling bereft.

 

“Condom?” Danny asks, and she fiddles with the drawer next to the bed, feeling around inside the cluttered drawer for a condom.

 

Kono rips the wrapping off with her teeth, and helps Danny secure it. She’s slick enough to forgo lube, and when Danny finally enters her, filling her, flipping her so that he’s on top, she pushes up, attempting to maximize the pleasure for the both of them.

 

They are a tangle of sheets and sweaty entwined limbs. Kono moans, utters nonsense, lets Danny take the lead. His strokes are long, tender, sweet, and it’s all she can do not to come before he does.

 

It has been too, too long since she’s fucked, but that isn’t what this is. No, this is, for all that she’s become jaded over the years, the making of love.  Danny’s making love to her, making sure that this experience is as pleasurable for her as it is for him, and as she comes, there are tears in her eyes. She can’t help the stifled sob that escapes her or the release of tears when Danny kisses her temple, pulling her close afterwards.

 

“Are you okay?” Danny asks, and, unable to find her voice, she nods. He kisses her tears away.

 

Her head fits in the crook of his neck, his leg rests comfortably between her thighs. Her arms wrap around his waist, his across her back, and that’s how they fall asleep.

 

Sunday dawned in a splendid collection of oranges, reds and purple s. Kono woke to a quiet susurration of sound that wasn’t quite a snore, and the feel of soft breath tickling the back of her neck. She opened her eyes slowly, fearful that it had all been a terrible, wonderful dream.

 

Danny’s face, slack, peaceful, beautiful in sleep eased her fears. It was a perfect beginning to a day that she hoped would be replicated in the near future. If she had her way, this would quickly become the norm – waking up secure and warm in Danny’s arms, the pungent scent of their lovemaking clinging to the air.

 

“How’d you sleep?” Kono asked when Danny’s eyes finally opened.

 

“Mm, good,” Danny said sleepily, stretching and yawning.  He looked over at Kono, and his heart swelled with happiness, his daughter’s words came back to him, and he frowned wondering what he’d done to deserve something, someone, so good.

 

“Me too,” Kono said, and snuggled closer.

 

**Small kine epilogue**

 

Minutes, or maybe it was an hour later, Danny wasn’t sure which it was, Grace knocked on the door. Kono and Danny scrambled to put their clothes on before opening the door, and heading out of the room with Grace in tow.

 

Danny watched Kono and Grace putter around in the kitchen as they made breakfast. Their laughter hung in the air, and he smiled.

 

He could get used to this.

 

**Pau**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First time writing a hetero story...hopefully it turned out somewhat okay.


End file.
